Vincent's lost engine?

ebay

Damn...

Had a Comet once, which I (probably possibly) swapped out for a Kawasaki H1a (BRM 623 J ?) ( wish I still had the Kwacker.. wonderful induction roar....)... Remember the main dealer telling me I'd bought the last remaing crankshaft in Christendom. Shortly after he'd sold me 1.5 mm over pistons....Got it rebored, but the bores were oval.... Put the pistons down in the right way, they'd go down like a beauty, turn them ninety degrees and they'd stick...Did ten thousand on it after the rebuild. Chopped it in after I got sick of paying for a fifteen mpg motororcycle.....Can't remember the reg of the Comet (but it did have the obligatory pedestrian slicer front number plate,, ) Miss my ducatis almost as much...

Well .... you don't know what you've got till it's gone.. paint paradise, put up a parking lot....

Do the world a favour, chop a Vincent,, :-)

You are forgetting that the mere mention of Vincent conjures up ridiculous prices in many minds. There are plenty of suckers out there and many would consider it immoral to give them an even break.

wrote

Think I'll give my '75' a coat of black gloss and put it up as a rare shadow lightweight engine!

Nick H

S> You got me thinking about the Vincent Firefly - I have a 1950s magazine S> with an article on it somewhere, and went googling about, but instead S> found the Vincent Amanda water scooter. Now I suppose all you old hands S> know all about this, but I was stunned - did Vincent make a Jet- Ski in S> the 1950s !! I knew they did some lifeboat engines, but what was this ?

S>

S> I know its not stationary, but I am curious if someone can tell me more S> about it.

S> Steve

It wasn't quite a jet ski as there was a conventional prop and rudder rather than pump and steerable jet, but the idea was certainly similar. The engine btw was a doubled up version of the little 'universal' referred to in the ebay listing. Unfortunately, so the story goes, the execution left something to be desired and engine heat softened the plastic hull, leading to several sinkings, one of which resulted in a death, and the project was quietly dropped. Another Great British might-have-been.

I was interested to note that the seller referred to the Firefly engine being built by Garelli (didn't know that), I believe the design was originally aquired from Miller, Vincent's long time electrical equipment supplier.

Now lets see if pipex will let me post at 'peak time'

nickh=== Posted with Qusnetsoft NewsReader 2.2.0.8

ebay

You got me thinking about the Vincent Firefly - I have a 1950s magazine with an article on it somewhere, and went googling about, but instead found the Vincent Amanda water scooter. Now I suppose all you old hands know all about this, but I was stunned - did Vincent make a Jet-Ski in the 1950s !! I knew they did some lifeboat engines, but what was this ?

Steve

It was their last hurrah:

There is an article in Stationary Engine magazine about the little water scooter and the plastic seat/body that collapsed when it got warmed up by the engine.

Timing is everything, and the delays probably cost them their business, they went down not long after.

Peter

-- Peter & Rita Forbes Email: snipped-for-privacy@easynet.co.uk Web:

Back in the 60s there were a fleet of about 10 of them based at a lake north of here. I remember talking my elder sister into hiring one for 1/2 an hour. But I got to drive. :-) Have no memory of the seat sagging after 1/2 hour, still I was just a lad...

Tom

It was the twin cylinder 150cc version that melted the resin & caught fire. IIRC, it was on the River Thames in front of the Houses of Parliament with the then Transport Minister as an invited guest!

Regards,

Kim Siddorn,

Ah, in my mind's eye I can still see the engine when you lifted the seat, these were definitely singles.

Tom

I am just so amazed that I never knew these things existed back in the

I should own up an interest and say that when sailing on a Thames Barge (which I did for 7 years) these gnats used to come and visit and the ning-ning-ning sound was annoying when sailing in virtual silence. However, being an engine man, I have long wished there was such a thing as a Harley Jet-Ski (Ducati would do). A large slow speed twin to replace the ning-ning-ning. When I found Vincent and Jet-Ski in the same 'frame' then these feeble thoughts gelled again. I realise that Vincent wasn't putting their big V-twin in this plastic wonder.

The only question I have is did Vincent invent the idea ? ... And if anyone has a Harley/Ducati Jet-Ski - I would dearly like to know - that would be pure class !!

Steve

How can you possibly mention harley in the same sentence as Ducati? The only thing they have in common is the number of cylinders.

Tom

Now you mention it, a jet ski with a slow thudding or slightly faster 'purring' Panther 600/650 twin port single would be fun too ;-)

Gyppo

The other thing they have in common is not going ying-ying-ying ! But otherwise I have to agree, and I am just considering trading my 749 Ducati up for the 848 - but I just know I am more likely to keep my licence if I get a Harley and get used to chugging along waving at the speed cameras.

Steve

And paddle wheels ?

If only I could draw...

Gyppo